The Rumor
by Cryysis
Summary: TyKa One-Shot A rumor sends Takao off to another school, and Kai isn't very happy about it. But there's more to it then meets the eye.


**Inspired by Tysonkaiexperiment's story ****Ever Dream****. Her's is Kingdom Hearts, this is Beyblade. Tried to make the characters as IC as possible.**

**Disclaimer: Beyblade and all likeness belongs to Takao Aoki.**

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**The Rumor**

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"He WHAT??"

It couldn't be right. They couldn't be talking about Kinomiya--especially considering _he'd_ never been told! He'd have talked to him about this first!

...Wouldn't he?

"He switched schools. I went and asked the principal myself, just to confirm it."

He did the same thing. There was no way that Kinomiya had moved because of some stupid rumor--he was stronger then that. Had _always_ been stronger then that. It was no weakling who had taken the World Championships from him--

And it hadn't been a weakling who he'd shared that _forever_ moment with. Kinomiya wasn't this damn weak!!

"I'm sorry Hiwatari-san, but Kon was correct. Kinomiya Takao was transferred last week."

That lying... No good... **Bastard!!!**

Kinomiya told him that he was sick--that's why he'd been missing school all week. He'd come by to make sure he was all right, but he'd told the other blader it was to make sure he wasn't faking.

He'd been in bed eating some soup, so he'd let it go. He'd been a little worried, but he'd come after school to help out around the dojo because he'd wanted to make sure Kinomiya wasn't over working himself. He was stupid like that; he would do it if he was asked. No, even if he _wasn't_ asked, he'd have still done it. He'd matured in the last three years.

But Kai knew that deep down, he was still that strong, bull-headed, kind, wonderful, loving person that he'd fallen in love with six years ago.

This was what really pissed him off. If Kinomiya had wanted to switch, fine, that was his decision, but he could have at least TOLD someone! Like, _him_, maybe? They were closer then that, weren't they? Why would he hide it from him?

It didn't make any sense. And he'd be damned if he didn't get to the bottom of it.

---

The bell rang. Finally, school was over. Usually Kai was the last one out, but today no one was faster then he was. He was _pissed_, and that wasn't even the half of it. He was mad, yeah, but he was hurt more. Hurt, worried, and confused as hell because he had no idea what was going on! He was probably overreacting, but dammit, Kinomiya could really be an idiot sometimes.

It was a short walk to the dojo. He knew the way so much that the neighbors would even greet him when they passed. He knew them by name; they knew him as 'the caring boy with two-toned hair.'

Whatever.

He walked through the large walls and up the steps. He wouldn't go through the front; he'd hit the back where Gramps was. If anyone knew where Tyson would be at the moment, it was him. He lived with him, why wouldn't he know?

"Hey K-man, how's it hangin'?"

Kai was not in the mood for Gramps' slang this afternoon. "Kinomiya. Where is he?"

Gramps went from an out-of-date old man to the serious grandfather. Wasn't a usual thing, and that scared Kai even more. "He's in his room. Just got home from school."

Nodding, he went through the back, forgetting to take his shoes off and slamming Kinomiya's door open with so much force the whole house shook. "What the _hell_ is going on?"

Takao stared at him like a doe caught in headlights. It was cute, but he was too pissed to let it register. Instead, he gave him the patented Hiwatari glare, and Takao's storm-blue eyes blinked, and he sighed quietly, closing his math book. Good, he had his attention.

"What exactly do you want to know?"

"Don't play games with me, Kinomiya. Explain yourself."

"Why _should_ I?" Takao glared at him with all the rage of a dragon facing a knight trying to steal its treasure trove--and Kai suddenly wondered exactly how far this rumor ran. "What would you care?"

THAT hurt, because apparently Tyson wasn't aware of exactly what he meant to him. Exactly how much he cared. "Explain Kinomiya, or I'll throttle you into next week!"

"Go ahead; I'm sure you wouldn't think twice about doing it to a _**fag**_!"

He punched him.

Kai's crimson eyes glowed with fury, and he grabbed Kinomiya by the scruff of his shirt, the swelling bruise on the other boy's cheek blooming. "Don't you DARE say that to me! _You_, of _all_ people, should know me better then that! Now tell me what the **fuck** is going on, because I know you well enough by now that some stupid rumor about your gender preference wouldn't make you _**switch schools**_!!"

Takao's eyes widened a fraction, and the look in his eyes was careful, cautious. He looked Kai over for a moment and stepped back, Kai's hand falling to his side. Takao's eyes never strayed from his. "You're right. The fact that I'm gay wouldn't make me switch schools."

"Then what did?"

"...You never heard the other half of the rumor, did you?"

Kai tensed. Another half? All he knew was that someone had spread the rumor about Kinomiya being gay, and it had been confirmed by one of his 'friends.'

Kai had put the fcker in the hospital for three months. Had it been one of the G-Revolution, he'd have killed him.

Takao was still waiting for an answer, so Kai shook his head. He'd never even caught a whisper of another half.

The look on his best friend's face was unreadable, and Kai didn't like it. Not at all. "What was the other half, Kinomiya?"

He didn't say anything for a moment, just stood there with that look. Then, Takao sighed and let the words slip out. "The proof, besides my confirmation... Was the fact that it was_ you_ that I loved."

Kai's heart stopped beating for a micro-second, and then it was beating as fast as humming-bird's wings.

'_He... He loves me?_'

But Takao's look didn't say it made him happy. And if Kai was right, then Takao's bruise would be the last thing on his mind, because he really WOULD throttle him. If he thought... "You thought I wouldn't want to be your friend anymore."

Takao chuckled, but there was no happiness in the sound. Only dry amusement. "That wouldn't make me switch either. I could deal with that, because I'd still see you one way or another. No, Kai, what made me switch was my knowing how you felt about me."

He froze.

Kinomiya wasn't supposed to know that. That had been his deepest secret. _How did he know that?!_

"Wh-what... When... How did you--"

"The last World Championships. I knew then."

Well, that explained it. He was still tense, but he relaxed some. He didn't know _why_ that made him feel better, but it did.

"I'd planned on telling you two weeks ago, because I'd finally worked up the courage to ask you out... But I was nervous, so I talked to one of the guys that I sit with at lunch sometimes. I told him that I was gay, and that it was you I was going to talk to. At that point, it spread like wild-fire and I didn't know what to do. I can handle that kind of criticism, hell, the Tournaments are proof enough, but I didn't want it reflecting back on you. So I made everyone keep it quiet or I'd slice them to pieces with Dragoon. And to keep the attention off you, I switched out. I knew then the rumor would die down after a while, but I didn't feel like risking anything, so I made it permanent."

Kai was... Almost speechless. "Since when the hell have I cared about what people think about me?"

Takao frowned at him. "You don't, but I do. Whether you like it or not, it matters to me." '_What an odd way to say I love you._'

"...Switch back."

Takao's glare was piercing and his voice held a finality to it that clearly said the argument was over with. "_No_."

Kai argued anyway. "Cut the noble shit, Kinomiya. And anyway, it's a stupid way to keep attention on yourself. You miss the limelight that much?"

Takao's punch was more then enough of an answer.

Ah well. They'd work it out eventually. After their bruises healed, anyway.

They always did.

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_They couldn't be talking about Kinomiya--especially considering he'd never been told!_

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